Polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. today as Effingham County voters will decide on a host of races and measures on the ballot.

Of the 28,326 registered voters in the county, 2,110 took part in early voting, which concluded Oct. 29. The Effingham Board of Elections and Registration also has received 406 absentee ballots, with about 150 still to be turned in as of Monday afternoon.

There are four contested races in the county, along with several other races for seats that cover all or parts of Effingham County.

In his bid for a fourth term in office, John Barrow said he's encouraged by what his constituents are telling him across Georgia's 12th U.S. House District.

Barrow, a Savannah Democrat, said his record of putting the district's interests first has resonated with his constituents.

"I'm encouraged by everything that's happened," he said Friday of his re-election campaign. "I know there's a lot of anger directed at a lot of people for a lot of reasons. But I'm not running into that. Folks are telling me they're proud of the way ...

ATLANTA-Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp reminds voters to check their polling location with the MVP (My Voter Page) voter education website and to bring photo ID when voting in the general election.

The MVP voter education Web site allows Georgia voters to find their election day polling location, view a sample ballot specific to them for the elections, track the status of their absentee ballot, and more.

Georgia voters can access the MVP Web site at www.sos.ga.gov.

Voters will be required to show one of the following six forms of photo ID when voting in-person ...

An autopsy performed on a man found not breathing on Highway 21 near Westwood Drive on Sunday revealed no incidents of foul play, according to authorities.

Effingham County Sheriff's Office spokesman David Ehsanipoor said the autopsy, conducted at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation state crime lab in Savannah, also indicated the man was not struck by a vehicle. The man has been identified as Stephen Walsh, 43, of Guyton.

At approximately 1:30 p.m. Sunday, deputies responded to Highway 21 near Westwood Drive on a report of a man not breathing laying in the roadway. Deputies found the ...

Interest in the Effingham Industrial Development Authority's holdings on Interstate 16 has picked up considerably, according to IDA CEO John Henry.

Henry said there are several active projects looking at the IDA's land there, some that are within the scope of a larger project the IDA has been courting for a while.

"We're at the point where we need more decision-making capacity," Henry said. "We're expecting to have to make a decision pretty soon. We have been showing the site, and project activity is skyrocketing right now.

"Now is the time for Georgians to think safety," said Alan Dozier, Chief of Protection for the Georgia Forestry Commission. "The number one cause of wildfire is backyard burns that get out of control, so it's critical to get a permit before striking that match."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service announces that applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) must be submitted by Nov. 19 to be ensured consideration for the 2011 funding cycle.

"EQIP applications will continue to be accepted year-round," said Austin Blackburn, district conservationist. "However, in order to approve applications in time for the upcoming planting season we are setting the deadline."

Through EQIP farmers are assisted with the cost of installing various soil and water conservation practices such as converting diesel irrigation motors to electric, grass planting on cropland, livestock heavy use areas, retrofitting ...